15 March 2010 - NI2 A

• Grammar: wish + past simple / past perfect / would + infinitive
  - Too late: 67% - 23%
  - Dissatisfied: 80% - 50%
  - It really annoys me!: 70% - 87%
• b. 1B / 2A / 3C
• Grammar Bank - p. 137.

1. I wish I was / were in Italy now!
2. I wish it would stop raining!
3. I wish I'd bought the washing in!
4. I wish I could afford a holiday this year!
5. I wish my husband would wash his own shirts!
6. I wish I hadn't moved to Britain!

• Speaking - Tell your partner about your wishes...
• Pronunciation
• Reading - Why men don't iron- p. 59

1. Why men and women are so different
2. Why women are better with words
3. Why women get lost but are safer drivers
4. Why men don't iron
5. Why men can't find things
6. Why women don't fly planes

• Further practice...
  - Reading
  http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/equalityday.php http://enjoyenglish.free.fr/english/ageless/words/fema.htm - Masculine or feminine? http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/equalityday_quiz.html - Women's equality day quiz... http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-womens-rights.htm
  - Listening
  http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0810/081030-colour.html http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0808/080819-australia.html
  - Webquest
  http://cecnbouvier.educanet2.ch/anglaisgym/gym/G2/Women%20will%20rule%20the%20world.htm
  - Humour
  http://www.ekmekci.com/humour.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lrJg8NMsFw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUei_ZP13E http://www.dumbvideos.com/theladiesroommonologues.html http://www.quia.com/pop/111332.html

11 March 2010 - NI2 E

• Reading - Exam practice
• Writing
• Listening

4 March 2010 - NIE

• Reading - Clothes to die for.
  D.

1. whereas
2. banned
3. led to
4. put out
5. put up with
6. cut to pieces
7. kneel down
8. trip over
9. strangle
10. it's worth it

• New File...Why men don't iron... (Do they?) What's your favourite karaoke song? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl95eDA_uR4 - My way... or maybe... I will survive... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctQI9Oo_Ie8
• Vocabulary Bank - p.152.

1. roles
2. feminine
3. breadwinner
4. equal rights
5. feminist
6. do their share
7. Ms.
8. "politically correct"
9. sexist
10. new man
11. partner
12. macho
13. sexism
14. discrimination
15. divorce rate

B. un- : unambitious, uncommunicative, unfaithful, unimaginative, unreasonable, unselfish, unsociable

im-: immature, impatient in-: inconsiderate, insensitive

ir-: irresponsible

il-: illogical

dis-: dishonest

Un- is the most common prefix. The four adjectives that don't fit in the chart are bossy, vain, jealous, and possessive. The opposites would be expressed with not.

• Speaking
  Generally speaking
  In general
  Nowadays
  Most
  All
  The average (= a typical man)

3 March 2010 - NI2 A

• Reading - Clothes to die for.

D.

1. whereas
2. banned
3. led to
4. put out
5. put up with
6. cut to pieces
7. kneel down
8. trip over
9. strangle
10. it's worth it

• New File...Why men don't iron... (Do they?)
  What's your favourite karaoke song?
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl95eDA_uR4 - My way... or maybe... I will survive... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctQI9Oo_Ie8
• Vocabulary Bank - p.152.

1. roles
2. feminine
3. breadwinner
4. equal rights
5. feminist
6. do their share
7. Ms.
8. "politically correct"
9. sexist
10. new man
11. partner
12. macho
13. sexism
14. discrimination
15. divorce rate

B.
un- : unambitious, uncommunicative, unfaithful, unimaginative, unreasonable, unselfish, unsociable
im-: immature, impatient
in-: inconsiderate, insensitive
ir-: irresponsible
il-: illogical
dis-: dishonest
Un- is the most common prefix. The four adjectives that don't fit in the chart are bossy, vain, jealous, and possessive. The opposites would be expressed with not.

Speaking

1. Generally speaking
2. In general
3. Nowadays
4. Most
5. All
6. The average (= a typical man)

2 March 2010 - NI2 E

• Correction and revision of the exams.

I gave you some information about the standardized regional exams (the famous 'pruebas unificadas' or 'exámenes de la consejería'), and we made some comments about the most common problems and mistakes you are having when facing this type of exams.

For further information, check the following link:
http://www.educa.jccm.es/educa-jccm/cm/educa_jccm/tkContent?pgseed=1256648761501&idContent=60108&locale=es_ES&textOnly=false

There, you will find a detailed description of the exams, as well as the evaluation criteria and some past papers.

I know some of you were a bit discouraged by your results, are having a hard time to move on to a higher level, and are feeling a bit 'stuck' at the moment.

Cheer up and keep up the hard work, because practice (the more you practice, the more you will learn!) is the only secret to learn a foreign language. And even if you feel that you aren't getting immediate results or that you are not learning at all, you will see these results some day if you keep up the hard work.

I would like to take the opportunity to apologise for having been 'away' from the blog for quite a long time, and overall, I would like to invite you to make use of the blog by adding your comments, writing on it, or sending interesting links, web pages or other documents in English.
Remember that this blog is yours as much as mine (if not more!), so feel free to use it the way you want and find more useful. For example, you could use it to practice your writing skills, and write a post about the topics we're using in the class, or any other way that comes to your mind.

I hope to read your comments here soon!

1 March 2010 - NI2 A

• Correction and revision of the exams.

I gave you some information about the standardized regional exams (the famous 'pruebas unificadas' or 'exámenes de la consejería'), and we made some comments about the most common problems and mistakes you are having when facing this type of exams.

For further information, check the following link:

http://www.educa.jccm.es/educa-jccm/cm/educa_jccm/tkContent?pgseed=1256648761501&idContent=60108&locale=es_ES&textOnly=false

There, you will find a detailed description of the exams, as well as the evaluation criteria and some past papers.

I know some of you were a bit discouraged by your results, are having a hard time to move on to a higher level, and are feeling a bit 'stuck' at the moment.

Cheer up and keep up the hard work, because practice (the more you practice, the more you will learn!) is the only secret to learn a foreign language. And even if you feel that you aren't getting immediate results or that you are not learning at all, you will see these results some day if you keep up the hard work.

I would like to take the opportunity to apologise for having been 'away' from the blog for quite a long time, and overall, I would like to invite you to make use of the blog by adding your comments, writing on it, or sending interesting links, web pages or other documents in English.

Remember that this blog is yours as much as mine (if not more!), so feel free to use it the way you want and find more useful. For example, you could use it to practice your writing skills, and write a post about the topics we're using in the class, or any other way that comes to your mind.

I hope to see your comments here soon!

22 to 25 Februray 2010 - ALL GROUPS

• February Exams - Reading, listening, writing, speaking and conversation.